Houston Fire Department After-Action Review (AAR) Guideline

Vocabulary flashcards based on the Houston Fire Department's Room I-30 After-Action Review guidelines, covering terminology, reporting procedures, and document components.

After-Action Review (AAR)

A formal written report that is a detailed analysis and review for incidents or events, submitted to the Emergency Response Command Staff for internal department use.

AAR Toolkit

A folder on the Z drive (RESTRICTED → DISTRICT CHIEF DATA → AAR TOOLKIT) containing documents such as the AAR Checklist, Meeting Agenda, IC Report, Officer Report, PowerPoint, and Template.

Near Miss

An unintentional occurrence that could have resulted in an injury, fatality, or property damage, prevented only by a fortunate break in the chain of events.

Significant Incident

Any high-risk/low frequency incident involving a high potential for personnel or citizens to become casualties, damage to equipment, or harm to reputation.

Tailboard Hotwash

An informal critique conducted on scene after incidents and special events, normally held at the company level to capture best practices and lessons learned.

The Six W’s

The minimum questions to be answered during a hotwash: (1) What was the mission? (2) What went well? (3) What could have gone better? (4) What could have been done differently? (5) Who needs to know? (6) What training should be implemented or improved?

AAR Deadline

Written AARs or PowerPoints must be complete within $90$ days of the incident or special event.

Executive Summary (AAR Component)

A one-page summary of the AAR context, process, and key findings, providing a quick snapshot and key words for repository storage.

Methodology (AAR Component)

The section identifying who is reviewing the facts and the basis of the analysis, such as HFD guidelines, NFPA standards, IFSTA books, or consensus.

Facts (AAR Component)

A section presenting all incident-associated information in chronological order, serving as the basis for the subsequent analysis.

Analysis (AAR Component)

The section that identifies gaps between the facts of the incident and the framework/standards, also used to highlight successes.

References (AAR Component)

A list of all citations, including NFPA standards, policies, textbooks, and journals, to provide credibility and support the evidence presented.

In-person AAR Timeline

The fact-finding session conducted by the end of the first tour following the incident or event.

HFD Near Miss Reporting

The responsibility of all personnel to identify and report events to the HFD Health and Safety Chief via a specific Microsoft Forms link.

NFPA Standards for AAR

Relevant standards include NFPA $1026$ (Chapter $4$), NFPA $1500$ (Chapter $8$), NFPA $1250$ (Chapter $5$), and NFPA $1600$ (Chapter $4$).